What I feel nhra needs to do?

[buzzinhalfdozen]

Chad, my kids a 20 something racer. He's grown up at the track, he's never shown any interest in the imports, probably due to the fact that I never did. What type of car one races in my mind does not have anything to do with ones IQ. Maybe these new import racers had no one to show them the ropes I don't know, however just the fact that their trying is good in my book. There are always going to be racers that excel over the others be it their driving or wrenching abilities. I like different stuff, I enjoy the look on peoples faces when I turn up my V6 and it sounds like a giant pissed off weed wacker their eyes about pop out of their heads. I've not been to a race with my car that a herd of young kids haven't come by and ask about my stuff, after answering all the how big of turbo and how much NOS questions I like to talk to them and show them my stuff.Who knows that kid may be the one that decides this is for him. Our sport can never thrive yet alone survive without the interest of the young people, after were gone in the words of the great Goerge Jones....."Who's gonna fill their shoes?" Joe

[Chad Rhodes]

Originally Posted by buzzinhalfdozen

Chad, my kids a 20 something racer. He's grown up at the track, he's never shown any interest in the imports, probably due to the fact that I never did. What type of car one races in my mind does not have anything to do with ones IQ. Maybe these new import racers had no one to show them the ropes I don't know, however just the fact that their trying is good in my book. There are always going to be racers that excel over the others be it their driving or wrenching abilities. I like different stuff, I enjoy the look on peoples faces when I turn up my V6 and it sounds like a giant pissed off weed wacker their eyes about pop out of their heads. I've not been to a race with my car that a herd of young kids haven't come by and ask about my stuff, after answering all the how big of turbo and how much NOS questions I like to talk to them and show them my stuff.Who knows that kid may be the one that decides this is for him. Our sport can never thrive yet alone survive without the interest of the young people, after were gone in the words of the great Goerge Jones....."Who's gonna fill their shoes?" Joe

I dunno Joe, the argument could be made that with an inclination toward drag racing and $10k to spend on a car (daily driver/bracket car) that the guy who chose an acura over a used F-body or mustang wasn't quite as sharp. We all know that RWD just works better on a drag strip, and if that was your goal why would you make life harder on yourself. Besides in the long run wheelies are way cool.

[boostedf22c]

Originally Posted by Chad Rhodes

I dunno Joe, the argument could be made that with an inclination toward drag racing and $10k to spend on a car (daily driver/bracket car) that the guy who chose an acura over a used F-body or mustang wasn't quite as sharp. We all know that RWD just works better on a drag strip, and if that was your goal why would you make life harder on yourself. Besides in the long run wheelies are way cool.

You do know that there are RWD imports.

Different strokes for different folks. I'm glad not everyone want's to build the same exact car, it's what makes this hobby exciting to me. I can appreciate and enjoy all aspects of it. As long as it's a well built ride of course.

There is no argument that if you are on a $10k budget and you want to race, and be fast and consistant that an f-body or mustang, etc. would be a far better choice, but who is really on a $10k budget building a class car????haha

[Chad Rhodes]

Originally Posted by boostedf22c

You do know that there are RWD imports.

Different strokes for different folks. I'm glad not everyone want's to build the same exact car, it's what makes this hobby exciting to me. I can appreciate and enjoy all aspects of it. As long as it's a well built ride of course.

There is no argument that if you are on a $10k budget and you want to race, and be fast and consistant that an f-body or mustang, etc. would be a far better choice, but who is really on a $10k budget building a class car????haha

no one, and I never said they were. and Yes, I know there are RWD imports. A good friend has a 9 sec 240Z that is super cool. But you know the old joke right? "what do a 400RWHP supra and a 900RWHP supra have in common? they both run low 12's" Things like that come about because, despite massive amounts of hp most of these guys aren't willing to dedicate the time to learning how to make car run the 1/4 mile quickly and efficiently..........those types will never make good class racers. That's my point, the very few who really do take a "class racer" approach are wayyyyyyyyy outnumbered by those who are either too lazy, too stupid, or just flat don't care in the import crowd.

[boostedf22c]

The only point I'm trying to make is it's the person, not the car.

Lumping people into a stereotype, based off what they drive is foolish in my opinion. I've never done it, and never understood people who do. So that's probably why we are debating this....

Personally, I've seen just as many foolish people driving around in domestic cars as I do imports.

BTW, I drive a Ford truck every day (have owned several, owned several Chevys and a Dodge), I know the Jap's can't make a good truck.......lol

[Chad Rhodes]

Originally Posted by boostedf22c

The only point I'm trying to make is it's the person, not the car.

Lumping people into a stereotype, based off what they drive is foolish in my opinion. I've never done it, and never understood people who do. So that's probably why we are debating this....

Personally, I've seen just as many foolish people driving around in domestic cars as I do imports.

BTW, I drive a Ford truck every day (have owned several, owned several Chevys and a Dodge), I know the Jap's can't make a good truck.......lol

It is the person, not the car. But it just seems that more serious racers (even young ones) choose domestics, while the "hey look at me crowd" tends to choose imports. I'm not saying that that sums up all import racers, however they have that image and they need to overcome that if they want to be taken seriously by old school racers then they need to separate themselves from that mentality and those who promote it. NOPI was a traveling spring break side show, that happened to center around cars. It was never, nor will ever be taken seriously as a racing venue. I think THAT is the major issue that confronts import racers. The have to separate themselves from that image.

[boostedf22c]

Originally Posted by Chad Rhodes

It is the person, not the car. But it just seems that more serious racers (even young ones) choose domestics, while the "hey look at me crowd" tends to choose imports. I'm not saying that that sums up all import racers, however they have that image and they need to overcome that if they want to be taken seriously by old school racers then they need to separate themselves from that mentality and those who promote it. NOPI was a traveling spring break side show, that happened to center around cars. It was never, nor will ever be taken seriously as a racing venue. I think THAT is the major issue that confronts import racers. The have to separate themselves from that image.

I raced in the NOPI/NDRA series for a couple years in early 2000's. It was a lot of fun. If you can't have fun at the track with FAST cars racing, boobies, foam pits, drifting, car show, etc. you aren't a real happy person. Yes, it was definitely a freak show, but I had fun. And everyone I went with had fun. That's what it's all about. It drew in a lot more spectators than class racing too, unfortunately.

Honestly, it was a lot more exciting that watching a ton of 10-12 seconds cars that all look the same go down the track, all while complaining about how horrible NHRA is even though they have other options to go racing in. I mean you had the 6 second PRO RWD import, high 7 second PRO FWD cars, high 7 low 8 second PRO 4 cylinder (fwd) cars, mid 9 low 10 second all motor cars. And the couple years I raced in the series it was competitive, had a good turnout, etc

We only had one, and that was NOPI. I'm glad there were there otherwise I'd just be taking my car to the local test and tunes, getting made fun of by all the domestic guys because they are all better....haha. Even though I was running 9's and there were all in the 10's and 11's.

That said, the reason NOPI fail was they let GM and Dodge come in, much like Ford and Dodge is doing in stock, and run all the privateers/sportsman type racers out. I have a strong opinion about that, much like most on here towards what they do. I lived through the NOPI series, I raced in it, saw it do great and watched it fail. And honestly that's what started the down ward spiral.

If you really care to hear....haha.

[X-TECH MAN]

Originally Posted by Chad Rhodes

It is the person, not the car. But it just seems that more serious racers (even young ones) choose domestics, while the "hey look at me crowd" tends to choose imports. I'm not saying that that sums up all import racers, however they have that image and they need to overcome that if they want to be taken seriously by old school racers then they need to separate themselves from that mentality and those who promote it. NOPI was a traveling spring break side show, that happened to center around cars. It was never, nor will ever be taken seriously as a racing venue. I think THAT is the major issue that confronts import racers. The have to separate themselves from that image.

Yep....couldnt have said it better.

[John Quinn]

My personal experience sort of fits in with this discussion. I just retired and moved to central Kansas and have a 95 Mustang that I want to turn into a stocker. Because of health problems I have a hard time doing physical labor so I looked for a partner. I advertised on the local tracks bulletin board and got a response from one of the local kids.

He is 19 and started out in Jr. drgster, he then moved to a dragster that he bracket races and responded to the add because he wants to try class racing. He has no family background in class racing but wanted to get into it badly enough that he is making a great sacrifice, a Chevy guy building a Ford. LOL

So here is one example of a young person moving from the jr dragster program to class racing without being born into a class racing family. He also had an import that he rodded around in during his high school days but for drag racing he is going American.